New baby animals in Prague Zoo

One hundred and thirty animals from over forty species have been born in Prague Zoo since it closed on the 13th of March 2020. With other animals still giving birth, including the rare Malayan tapir, zookeepers are wondering when the public will get to see them.

Prague Zoo accepts the government’s decision to open the zoo in one of the later stages of lifting emergency measures. The zoo director, Miroslav Bobek, agrees that the 25th of May and the 8th of June are reasonable dates for the reopening of outdoor exhibitions and indoor pavilions, respectively.

Baby elephant and baby tapir are the main stars

Until then, animal lovers can admire the new young at the zoo on its YouTube channel and in photographs. Like the baby elephant, the baby tapir, born on Sunday the 19th of April, also broke viewing records that day. The perfectly healthy cub is a male, and his parents’ Indah and Niko’s second baby.

Endangered species

The Malayan tapir is the only tapir sub-species living in Southeast Asia. All other tapirs originate from South America. It is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to the destruction of its natural rainforest habitat. It is estimated that there are 2,500 adults living in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra.

Prague Zoo saving tapirs

It is rare for Malayan tapirs to be raised in zoos. According to the zoo’s curator of mammals, only 45 tapirs live in Europe, with an average of four baby tapirs born a year in European zoos.

Prague Zoo joined the European conservation programme for Malayan tapirs in 2010.

Zoo for children

The zoo is also thinking of children at home who need to have fun as well as to learn. In order to help busy teachers and parents, they are offering free worksheets for children.

What’s new in the zoo?

Darwin’s crater is a special novelty. It was opened on the 28th of March and is home to four Tasmanian devils.

Do the animals miss visitors?

According to director Miroslav Bobek, the animals have noticed certain differences, and may also be surprised that zookeepers are wearing facemasks, but it’s hard to say how or exactly what they perceive. While some animals welcome the absence of visitors, it is a loss of external stimuli for others. In the zoo, the animals are not the only ones being watched.